Game Preview: Dream vs. Storm (09/02/08)

The Dream (3-26) travel return home for their first matchup of the season against the Seattle Storm (18-10). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST at Philips Arena.

The Dream continue a tough final stretch of the season as they face a playoff contender in every remaining game. Atlanta has dropped seven consecutive games after losing to the Indiana Fever 87-72 on Saturday night. Betty Lennox led the way for the Dream with a game-high 27 points, but Atlanta was unable to rally after trailing by as many as 19 points in the first half. Erika De Souza continued her strong play down low, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots before fouling out. Izi Castro Marques also finished in double figures, scoring 11 points on 5-9 shooting from the field. Indiana was led by Tamika Catchings with 23 points. Three Fever players topped the 20+ point mark for the first time in franchise history as Katie Douglas and Tammy Sutton-Brown added 21 each.

The Storm trail the San Antonio Silver Stars by Ĺ a game in the fight for the Western Conference title (includes games through 8/31/08). Seattle dropped its most recent game to the Connecticut Sun, 80-76, despite a combined 40 points from Sue Birdand Swin Cash. Bird led the way for Seattle with 24 points and Cash finished with 16. Seattle is without forward Lauren Jackson. The Australian Olympian had surgery to her right ankle last week and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. She has been replaced in the starting lineup by Camille Little.

Although this is the first matchup between the two teams, in a way they are already familiar opponents. Izi Castro Marques and Betty Lennox face off against their former team for the first time since being acquired by Atlanta in the 2008 WNBA Expansion Draft. Castro Marques spent the previous three seasons in Seattle and Lennox played her last four years (including a 2004 championship) with the Storm. The Stormís Camille Little will also be playing against her former team for the first time since being traded by the Dream in June. The game also features three Brazilian stars (Izi Castro Marques, Erika De Souza and Storm forward Kelly Santos).